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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. march — music
  3. drill — the tool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fall — the season
  6. drill — army training
  7. fall — to drop
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bore — to drill
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — humankind
  13. bore — to tire
  14. kick — in football
  15. march — the month
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. race — a contest
  19. roll — a cake
  20. march — the month
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. roll — a list
  23. drill — a practice
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com